NEW YORK The franchised KFC/Taco Bell outlet in Greenwich Village that was shuttered as a result of a highly publicized rat infestation will remain closed permanently, franchisor Yum! Brands Inc. said. The unit, which was operated by Fairfield, N.J.-based franchisee ADF Cos., was closed in February after a videotape showing dozens of rats running around the restaurant made national news and was circulated internationally via the Internet. The incident triggered a citywide inspection crackdown by the municipal Department of Health and Mental Hygiene that led to the temporarily closing of about 300 New York restaurants.
Aspokesman for Louisville, Ky.-based Yum brands said the multibrand company was "determined to prevent this incident from happening again." He indicated that the company would review recommendations later this month from Bobby Corrigan, the renowned rodent expert who was hired in the aftermath of the incident here to bolster the restaurant company's defenses against pests.
Earlier, ADF, which temporarily had closed its other New York outlets, said it would reopen those restaurants "with new procedures."